University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
UC Davis
Bruins Open Season at LouStrong Invitational
January 13, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
This Week -- No. 3 UCLA travels to Saratoga, Calif. this weekend for the LouStrong Invitational at West Valley College Aquatic Center. The Bruins will play exhibition matches on Saturday, Jan. 14 against No. 4 California (10 am) and the Canadian National Team (1 pm) before facing off with No. 14 San Jose State in the season opener. On Sunday, Jan. 15, UCLA will face No. 1 Stanford in an exhibition match at 8 am and then will take on No. 17 UC Davis at 11 am.
The Series -- The Bruins hold an unblemished 33-0 record versus San Jose State and most recently defeated the Spartans 13-6 at Spieker Aquatics Center on April 2, 2016. UCLA is 15-1 all-time against UC Davis, with the only loss coming in the Bruins' first year in existence. The Bruins have won 15 straight since that 9-3 loss in 1995.
Coming Up -- UCLA will compete in the UCSB Winter Invitational on Jan. 21-22. The Bruins will have games against Pacific and Indiana on Jan. 21 and Michigan and UC San Diego on Jan. 22.
UCLA Third in NCAA Preseason and MPSF Coaches Poll -- Coming off a third-place national finish in 2016, UCLA is ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason poll behind No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 USC. The Bruins are also third in the MPSF preseason coaches poll, where they totaled one first-place vote and 28 points overall. Also receiving first-place votes were No. 1 Stanford (four), No. 2 USC (one) and No. 4 California (one). This marks the first time ever that four teams have earned at least one first-place vote in the MPSF preseason coaches poll. The MPSF has been the dominant team in NCAA women's water polo, winning all 21 national championships since its inaugural season in 1996.
Fresh Faces -- Musselman is one of eight freshmen joining the Bruins this season. Joining her is goalkeeper Hannah Storum, attackers Haley Evans, Jenna Hurst, Emily Skelly, and Brooke Maxson and utility players Tara Prentice and Bridgett Storm. Additionally, UCLA returns redshirt seniors Fattal, defender Alys Williams and attacker Kodi Hill, who each took an Olympic Redshirt year to train with the U.S. National Team. Junior transfers Donya Dehnad (goalkeeper) and Bronte Halligan (utility) also join the squad.
Who's Returning? -- Two Bruin returnees hit the pool looking to build upon award-winning 2016 campaigns. Senior Mackenzie Barr, who led the Bruins offensively with 44 goals and 28 assists, earned both a first-team All-MPSF nod and an NCAA All-Tournament first-team selection. Sophomore Lizette Rozeboom, meanwhile, shined in her first year and earned a selection to the MPSF All-Newcomer Team. She tallied 40 goals of her own in 2016. Barr (first team), junior Devin Grab (second team), senior Kelsey O'Brien (honorable mention) and reshirt senior Alexa Tielmann (honorable mention) all garnered All-America selections. Barr was also a 2016 Cutino Award finalist to round out her stellar season.
Bruins Capture Gold in Rio -- Five Bruins joined former UCLA women's water polo head coach Adam Krikorian in securing Team USA's first back-to-back gold and fifth consecutive Olympic medal at last summer's Rio Games. Courtney Mathewson, who also won gold in London in 2012, was joined by fellow graduates Sami Hill and KK Clark, as well as current Bruin attacker Rachel Fattal and incoming freshman attacker Maddie Musselman. Musselman tallied 12 goals throughout the Games. Mathewson scored seven, Fattal added four, and Clark contributed two of her own. In the cage, Hill recorded six saves in three games.
Head Coach Brandon Brooks -- Brandon Brooks (UCLA '05) returns for his eighth season, having compiled a 178-39 record over his first seven. Brooks, the 2015 MPSF Coach of the Year, has coached UCLA to three MPSF Tournament titles in six seasons (2010, 2012, 2015). In addition, the Bruins have advanced to the MPSF Tournament championship match five times during his tenure. Twenty-three of Brooks' players have earned 39 All-America certificates, and 21 players have earned 38 All-MPSF awards. As an assistant coach with the men's and women's programs, Brooks was involved in four NCAA championships, and as a player, he was part of two NCAA title teams (1999 and 2000). A two-time Olympic goalkeeper, Brooks was the starting goalkeeper for the 2004 U.S. team that won the silver medal in Athens.
